Clear new AXLR8 Portal interfaces

Clear new AXLR8 Portal interfaces

Rick Marengo

AXLR8 has been spending the last three years updating and improving the AXLR8 User Experience (UX). Many parts of the system are now being systematically added and seamlessly replacing exisiting client systems.

Staffing Agencies

Field staffing apps have been evolving for a while and are now customised to your company and also have all the functionality you would expect from AXLR8’s comprehensive staffing agency systems.

Applicants for different job postings
AXLR8 Application Tracking System: effective recruitment metrics

The staffing systems internal HQ Admin wokflows are being improved, functon by function, starting with the recruitment team using AXLR8 applicant tracking systems.

Dashboards

AXLR8 Dashboards are built internally at clients with knowledgeable accredited AXLR8 Super Users now. They can be built and placed any where in the system but the most popular place is the opening page with a management overview.

AXLR8 Dashboards
AXLR8 Dashboards give a real time overview of business health

Finance

AXLR8 are growing in the commercial finance and loan management systems markets as a direct result of improving user interfaces.

AXLR8 LoanMatrix
AXLR8 Loan Management Systems

Government

AXLR8 is updating the Information Request Management and Information Asset Register systems in use across central and local government and NHS.

AXLR8 IAR
Information Asset Register keeps data sources inventory maintained

Apps

AXLR8 have been delivering Apps on all major operating environments for seeral years for our clients to replace and complement our web apps and web portals.

App Screens
Simple to use fault reporting and service logging app

The above maintenance app is a simple “see snap send” reporting mechanism as well as containing all the information requied for service, installation and other equipment management tasks for an engineer.

The comprehensive AXLR8 Staffing App is simpl for the staff member to use for shift information, work planning availability calendar, pay, expenses, field reporting and surveys (on and off line) updating personal details, Chat mechanism, proof of attendance and so much more. It is used by tens of thousands of staff every day.

Staff App Screens
Staffing App with client customised content and functionality

Please email sales@axlr8.com or call us about your business systems requirement 01344 776500

AXLR8 working at home

Rick Marengo

We have moved most people out of the office to work at home and it all seems to be going very well.  Teamviewer, Skype, Join.me, Splicecomm telephone system, VPN, brilliant products, thanks. Google Hangouts, Zoom, there is something for everyone.

AXLR8 clients may completely drop their office and, subject to their security policies, many have found no change in working at home so long as they have a reasonable internet connection.

Conference calls and screenshares between someone’s conservatory and a desk in a spareroom across town and the client’s mobile in a different country operate like a dream. Always a pleasure to hear a dog barking in the background at someone’s house.

Payback for when weekends spent pottering about in the server room getting all the technology working and maintained every few months for years. Helped a client out with his VPN today so one of his people could work at home.

Look around your office and decide if it is really useful or just a vanity structure. Do you have a disconnect between what different people believe can be achieved at home in back and front office functions? It seems from this netimperative article many do. Extending our practical WoH practices this month because of Corona Virus has gone very well for AXLR8.

AXLR8 Corona Virus Resilience

Rick Marengo

In the last few weeks we have been reviewing plans for how AXLR8 deals with the evolving Corona virus threat to all our businesses. We have published information for different markets in which we operate, for example, AXLR8 staffing agency clients. Finance and public sector clients have very different challenges.

  • Isolation: AXLR8 Staff will be working at home a great deal over the next few weeks (March April subject to review).
  • Your Support Service:  we have a great team of client facing sales and support consultants who have the expertise to deal with any queries.  There may be absences (e.g. sickness or care of dependants).  However, our sophisticated internal systems mean they can work from anywhere.
  • Business meetings: kept to a minimum and mostly avoiding crowded transport.  There will be an increase in online screensharing which is mostly accepted by clients with the exception of parts of the public sector. 
  • Security of cashflow: AXLR8 will maintain a portfolio of markets rather than consolidate into a few because it is not yet clear if our survival and future cashflow requirements will be better met by, say, public sector or finance clients. 
  • Supply chain security: AXLR8 have a portfolio of data centre suppliers with a wide geographical and commercial spread.
  • External expert services are hugely valued and the loyalty is two way.  However, neither our business nor their services are irreplaceable.
  • Hiring has been temporarily frozen and budgets tightened “for a rainy day”.
  • Training courses have been cancelled for the next few months.
  • Key people: internal knowledge is shared and expertise overlaps.  However, there would be delayed developments in the event that a key person was absent for any reason.
    • holiday
    • illness
    • other
  • Development resources We ask clients and partners to understand that any developments – especially bespoke designs – will be a little slower than normal.  Software development normally follows the axiom: “More haste. Less speed”.   We will use the right programmers for each change and resulting version control and testing.  If experience is our guide, there are no short cuts. This is your mission critical software.  
  • Bug fixes should be attended to quickly and in the event of sever problems, as ever, other tasks are dropped to start disaster recovery immediately.
  • Financial stability Frankly, our balance sheet will be adversely affected this FY (to March 31st, 2020).  We have invested heavily in new functionality and the new look and feel of our systems.  That would have been fine but for some unexpected recent client liquidations in one of our markets.  However, AXLR8 has no debt except normal payroll and monthly service outgoings for our low overheads.  We are in a strong position to come out of this period stronger than competitors.   Many of those will be extending their funding lines and we believe that some of our rivals are already over-extended and will fail leaving the clients that rely upon their systems in a difficult position.
  • A watching brief is being kept on competitors of our clients entering liquidation to alert our clients so they can pick up the clients and, hopefully, the business from those clients.   The business health of our clients is always paramount for us but now is time where we need to add as much value as possible.

AXLR8 are a low risk, no debt company with a creative, hard-working team. (Boring is looking pretty cool right now).  Our main duty to our clients is to be reliable, stay in business and keep your SaaS systems and support services running.

Our experienced management team have been through some rocky seas in the past including deep recessions. AXLR8 are determined to come out of this stronger. We also expect this is not the last pandemic we see as our connected planet becomes a village.

AXLR8 Login Tips

Rick Marengo

Security is only going to get stronger in the world of business applications.

Therefore, some of your legitimate users will face occasional barriers to accessing your business applications including the one you have purchased from AXLR8.

Quick fixes

Assuming they are legitimate users, the quick solutions you can try are as follows.

Common user issueWhat to do about it
Forgot password (includes typing the wrong case e.g. “ABCD1234” instead of “AbCd1234”)They should go through the password reset process. It sends them a temporary login and instructions on how to create a new secure password.
A Super User can also kick off this password reset process.
Too many false login attemptsThe users account will be disabled. A Super User needs to go to their User Admin area, select that user and take their account from the “disabled” to the “active” list. Don’t forget to check they are still legitimate users!
Not received password reset emailThe email with the reset password instructions has probably gone into their spam folder.*
The user must check their spam folder, retrieve the mail and follow the instructions.
User forgot login name (includes typing it wrong such as “JOHN SMITH” when it is actually “JOHNSMITH” without a space)They can use the user name reminder process.
You can send them the correct user name and explain the importance of typing it exactly.

*If all go to spam, then your DKIM and SPF records a may not be set up correctly and you may need to ask assistance of whoever manages your DNS.  AXLR8 can re-supply the correct values for these.

The above should solve it (and probably similar problems from any system you may use, from any supplier). If not, one of your company’s AXLR8 Super Users should follow the steps in the link below with your user (client, field staff, etc.) in order to resolve the matter.

Detailed help notes

For more detailed instructions about how to troubleshoot problems when users cannot log in, please click here.

AXLR8 Support Xmas 2019 & NY

Rick Marengo

AXLR8 Support will be working on a skeleton staff over the Christmas and New Year Holiday period. We are in on Monday 23rd and on Christmas Eve (till lunch time) as well as 27th (till around 3pm), 30th and 31st December.

Emails are being answered where necessary as they arrive. For urgent issues, clients operating over that period will have access to a director’s phone number.

We are back on the 2nd January, 2020.

Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2020!

AXLR8 SMS Pricing 2020

Rick Marengo

AXLR8 have reduced the prices again for 2020. 

Text messaging is ever more used by companies to remind or alert people and organise activities quickly. It is more effective and faster than email.

The reason for this price reduction is the multi-million volumes now purchased by the AXLR8’s “buying club” of clients. Also, to a lesser extent, we reduced administration with small price rises for buyers of lower volumes that cause proportionately more admin. Prices now start at under 2p/unit for our very high volume clients. Very low volume clients buying 1000 occasionally for example pay more than four times that cost per unit but have a low entry point, a low MoQ (1000 for £85 plus VAT to cover admin) and “pay as you go” preference.

AXLR8 SMS Price List

Most commonly, staffing agencies or businesses that need to alert clients or others to events, buy 10k units as “stock” for their AXLR8 Text Tank. The price for 10k texts if you are a buying club subscriber is £294 plus VAT from 1st December 2019 (instead of £323 plus VAT till end November 2019). Partly this is achieved by reducing admin costs. The minimum order quantity (MOQ) is 10k for these prices.  This has a couple of implications.  First, you are less likely to run out and secondly, we suggest  you change your low units alert levels to 3000 and 1000 minimum reminder level so you have enough time to order a top up.  You can log in to https://sms.axlr8.com to change these parameters and see the level of texts in your tank as well as many other facilities.

Hopefully , you will join other clients who are using AXLR8 apps for iPhones and Android devices so that AXLR8 Chat to reduce messaging conversation costs further.

Use cases

  • Appointment reminders
  • Tactical instructions for mobile workers
  • Tracked assets moved to unexpected locations (usually outside geofence)
  • Security alerts for night guarding
  • Stock replenishment in FMCG, warehouses or medical supplies
  • Informing BSL translators of work opportuities
  • Power cut alert as UPS kicks in
  • Refrigerated goods below a pre-set temperature
  • Alerting staff to new work shifts you need to fill
  • Staff booking confirmations
  • Surveys for clients and staff
  • work completion or pre-ordered item availability
  • and may more

AXLR8 Checkpoints Rev 4

AXLR8 Checkpoints Rev 4

Rick Marengo

We are delighted with the field testing of revision 4.0 of this device following client feedback – mostly from the security and retail field marketing industries. More information on the dedicated AXLR8 Event Staffing website.

All weather

AXLR8 Checkpoints are weather resisitant even in a very rainy country like the UK. We will also test them in cold countries soon to see if they can get through minus 30 cold snaps in Canada or Scandanavia. Not sure we will bother testing at 10m under the sea – even if it would make a good picture! The AXLR8 Checkpoint would survive in high pressure salt water for around a year, we believe. We would need to research sealants for longer than that. However, if you had mobile guards or countercover staff down there, then the scanning device would also need military specification sealing. We think about these things so you don’t have to.

Surface Attachment

AXLR8CheckPointV4
AXLR8CheckPointV4

It seems that small seemingly insignificant changes are more expensive than you would imagine but also more satisfying for us when done. If your client does not allow you to attach your proof of attendance check in and check out devices on to the walls with screws (the original designs) then we have 100% back surface for adhesive or double sided tape or velcro. Too many options to list. The AXLR8 Checkpoints may be customer installed. Obviously, do a “patch test” on a single device first if you use glue with chemicals that may contain acids or other corrosive chemicals. This caveat applies to the client’s wall or other surfaces too, of course. Some of these devices are under counters and several are in cupboards.

No power or network cabling

These devices are passive and so they do not need electricity or any network cabling. Staff checking in, out or about, just need a BYOD device (reasonably up-to-date iPhone or Android device) which virtually all of your staff carry with them, anyway.

Low deployment costs

Live powered networked intelligent scanning devices are expnsive to install and maintain. Where you need an intelligent networked device internet and electric suply plus battery back up and plenty of local memory, the costs are normally £1000 minimum to purchase, install, wire up and connect to the net. They are then vulnerable to weather, power and internet interruption, vandalism, etc. So insurance and maintenance are necessary. They do help if you have hundreds of staff with swipe cards as the cost per staff check in is low. We have relationships with Paxton and Almas Industries if you need this sort of swipe/ biometric device installed and we keep up-to-date on new products on the market all the time. However, AXLR8 Checkpoints are around £150-£300 installed and maintenance is basically occasional replacement due to landlords or clients restrictions on adesion methods on their walls or other surfaces. There are also cheaper share survices where AXLR8 have identified, for example, that three countercover agencies and one security firm all have staff working at the same location and all need the same check in, out and about recording functionality when their staff are working.

Wokingham Theatre expands seating layout

Rick Marengo

We are delighted to have completed the work on the new expanded theatre auditorium seating plan for Wokingham Theatre’s seat booking system. We met this morning and set the new bigger seating configuration live for September bookings.

Well done Wokingham Theatre! You could probably double the seat numbers and still sell out every performance!

Everyone at AXLR8 has enjoyed working for you over the years and seeing the club grow and, not least, the many wonderful perfomances we have attended.